The way I understand that is that a "full retail" license is bound to an owner. It can be moved from one computer to another as long as the computer, it was previously activated for, is retired (or reinstalled with another license/OS).

Is it your wishful thinking or did you try such transfers of license indeed?

I have and I can confirm that Full Retail keys can be re-used on a new machine. If you contact Microsoft for key activation, they will simply ask you if you have the software installed on any other active machines. If you say no, they will proceed in letting you activate. Call is less than 5 minutes.

I've actually done this on an OEM copy as well. Microsoft isn't too hard on policy.

On forth device it will fail. You have 2 more tries to go :)

The way I understand that is that a "full retail" license is bound to an owner. It can be moved from one computer to another as long as the computer, it was previously activated for, is retired (or reinstalled with another license/OS).

Is it your wishful thinking or did you try such transfers of license indeed?

The thing is that rather few people buy the full retail. Most people prefer to put another $100 into memory or graphics "now" instead of planning ahead and paying for a license, that will stay with them for a long time. So they get some "customized" system with OEM instead of barebone + full license. It is like buying an old fish from Microsoft rather than buying hook, line and sinker ... no ... wait ... that came out wrong ...

On forth device it will fail. You have 2 more tries to go :)

Even when calling M$?

On forth device it will fail. You have 2 more tries to go :)

Even when calling M$?

At least calling M$ and interacting with their automatic telephone system.

On forth device it will fail. You have 2 more tries to go :)

Even when calling M$?

At least calling M$ and interacting with their automatic telephone system.

The 5 minutes I stated before was including the wait for someone to get on the phone to ask how many other computers I had the OS installed on.

And what about the old CRT monitors that I still have...?

Since you won't be installing Windows 10 on the CRT itself...

Unless that is you leave them on long enough without a "screensaver" for the phosphors to become permanently branded!

:-P


IT is what we allow it to be...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Word on the web is that it's to attract developers. The larger the install base out the gate, the more apps will find there way into Windows Store. That's allegedly why we are getting a free lunch:)

Word on the web is that it's to attract developers. The larger the install base out the gate, the more apps will find there way into Windows Store. That's allegedly why we are getting a free lunch:)

What are the top reasons, why people buy OEM systems running Windows?

• This is the cheapest "solution" they find on Amazon.
  
• This is all they find at Best Buy.
  
• This is all they find at Target, Walmart or anywhere else.
  
• Anything else will not pop up a CLICK ACCEPT TO INSTALL thingy, when inserting a game CD.
  

Developers? I doubt. Developers aren't the one's, who like their customers to be that dumb. Please don't include developers in the blame.

This thread has finally got my attention enough to start acquiring parts for a new computer build. The heart of it will be the latest Intel Extreme CPU, on an ASUS Rampage V Extreme motherboard with a clean install of Windows 10 on a Samsung 850 Pro, 1TB SSD. It will take me a while to gather (pay for) the parts, so when Windows 10 is actually released, I should be close.

Steve

---

Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

It is expected that Windows 10 will be released sometime in Q3 of this year.

Well, I just posted this in the Thread of the same name that I created in the Cafe...

Of the four computers that we have on Win 7; they came from:

One Win 7 Pro - OEM, purchased from Central Computers in June of 2014.

One HP Pavilion Laptop, Win Vista SP-2, Upgraded to Win 7 Home Premium.

One HP Pavilion Desktop, came with Win 7 H.P. but no install Disc... Created "Recovery" Disc Set - 3 Discs.

One HP Pavilion Laptop, came with Win 7 H.P. but no install Disc... Created "Recovery" Disc Set - 3 Discs.


So, apparently, none of our four Win 7 systems are "Full Retail"; yet, I suspect that ALL will upgrade to Win 10 when it is released.

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

Well, I just posted this in the Thread of the same name that I created in the Cafe...

Of the four computers that we have on Win 7; they came from:

One Win 7 Pro - OEM, purchased from Central Computers in June of 2014.

One HP Pavilion Laptop, Win Vista SP-2, Upgraded to Win 7 Home Premium.

One HP Pavilion Desktop, came with Win 7 H.P. but no install Disc... Created "Recovery" Disc Set - 3 Discs.

One HP Pavilion Laptop, came with Win 7 H.P. but no install Disc... Created "Recovery" Disc Set - 3 Discs.


So, apparently, none of our four Win 7 systems are "Full Retail"; yet, I suspect that ALL will upgrade to Win 10 when it is released.

Your one that was originally Vista might not, since it was already upgraded once. Have to wait and see.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Well my laptop came with Vista, I upgraded to Win 7, then to Win 8 when it was on sale cheap, no problems.

However when Win 8.1 came out it totally failed to find the upgrade in the Microsoft store, yes that is how it worked in Win 8. I tried in vain to find the answer, I even contacted Microsoft support and had a tech remotley connected for several hours on three separate evenings, he totally failed to get it to upgrade and as a last resort uninstalled my graphics drivers and bingo, my screen which is 1440x900 wnet to 600x800 and could not be changed. Being and older dell there were no Win 8 drivers for the old Mobility Radeon HD3670, which had worked fine under Win 8 because it was an "upgrade" So I told the MS tech not to do any more and had to do a complete reinstall of Vista then Win 7 where it still is.

So the only problem I foresee is that older hardware (especially in laptops) may not have compatible drivers. Or may not perform as expected.

I will give Win 10 a try, after backing up my laptop and know I can re-inistall from the ground up if all else fails

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Janni I'm sorry but I honestly have no idea neither what you misunderstood me saying nor the point you are trying to make.

- The cheapest and shockingly #1 selling laptops last year and/or the year before on Amazon were actually Chromebooks. Apparently they are still the most wished for:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/most-wished-for/electronics/565108/

- When I say developers I'm not talking Battlefield/COD but Candy Crush. And Candy Crush only got released last month on Windows!

http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2014/12/11/candy-crush-saga-comes-to-windows-phone/

more here:

"This is a key point to moving developers and end users towards the Universal App model, so strategically it makes a lot of sense. If the majority of people are still running a version of Windows that does not support Universal Apps such as Windows 7, it is going to be very difficult to get major developers to build out the platform."
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8918/microsoft-announces-free-windows-10-update

Word on the web is that it's to attract developers. The larger the install base out the gate, the more apps will find there way into Windows Store. That's allegedly why we are getting a free lunch:)

What are the top reasons, why people buy OEM systems running Windows?

• This is the cheapest "solution" they find on Amazon.
  
• This is all they find at Best Buy.
  
• This is all they find at Target, Walmart or anywhere else.
  
• Anything else will not pop up a CLICK ACCEPT TO INSTALL thingy, when inserting a game CD.
  

Developers? I doubt. Developers aren't the one's, who like their customers to be that dumb. Please don't include developers in the blame.

Well, I just posted this in the Thread of the same name that I created in the Cafe...

Of the four computers that we have on Win 7; they came from:

One Win 7 Pro - OEM, purchased from Central Computers in June of 2014.

One HP Pavilion Laptop, Win Vista SP-2, Upgraded to Win 7 Home Premium.

One HP Pavilion Desktop, came with Win 7 H.P. but no install Disc... Created "Recovery" Disc Set - 3 Discs.

One HP Pavilion Laptop, came with Win 7 H.P. but no install Disc... Created "Recovery" Disc Set - 3 Discs.


So, apparently, none of our four Win 7 systems are "Full Retail"; yet, I suspect that ALL will upgrade to Win 10 when it is released.

Your one that was originally Vista might not, since it was already upgraded once. Have to wait and see.

It doesn't matter what was previously on there. It only matters what is currently on there. If you are currently using Windows 7 or 8.1, you can get 10 free if you act within the first 365 days of its release.

I hope that someone here who is currently Beta Testing Win 10 can answer this... I have two OLD printers on my Network. One is a true Network Printer; the HP LaserJet 4000TN from 1998. The other is a Parallel Printer, HP LaserJet 4ML that I have Networked via a Netgear Printserver PS-101 kit.

Both printers are working on all five of our computers; as before, four are Win 7 and one is Win XP Pro x64. If I upgrade all of the Win 7 computers to Win 10; will Win 10 accept and keep the current Printer Drivers for the two connected printers, or will Win 10 "break" the Printer Drivers and NOT recognize the connected printers?

We do NOT have the money to replace the 4000TN with a newer similar HP Model, and my dad is hesitant to get rid of the 4ML. So, we are hoping that Win 10 will recognize and use the existing Win 7 Printer Drivers and continue to see the existing printers connected to the Network.

The guys in the Cafe are less hopeful and optimistic about this, and are telling me that Win 10 will "break" the existing Printer Drivers.


TL

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

I hope that someone here who is currently Beta Testing Win 10 can answer this... I have two OLD printers on my Network. One is a true Network Printer; the HP LaserJet 4000TN from 1998. The other is a Parallel Printer, HP LaserJet 4ML that I have Networked via a Netgear Printserver PS-101 kit.

Both printers are working on all five of our computers; as before, four are Win 7 and one is Win XP Pro x64. If I upgrade all of the Win 7 computers to Win 10; will Win 10 accept and keep the current Printer Drivers for the two connected printers, or will Win 10 "break" the Printer Drivers and NOT recognize the connected printers?

We do NOT have the money to replace the 4000TN with a newer similar HP Model, and my dad is hesitant to get rid of the 4ML. So, we are hoping that Win 10 will recognize and use the existing Win 7 Printer Drivers and continue to see the existing printers connected to the Network.

The guys in the Cafe are less hopeful and optimistic about this, and are telling me that Win 10 will "break" the existing Printer Drivers.


TL

What I did and what I suggest you do is buy a USB drive and do a windows install on it. You can then safely test anything you question without having to destroy your environment. Apple had a release i wasn't sure about so I copied my system to the USB drive and created the new system there. When I was sure all the issues were addressed, I altered the production environment. If you don't have a USB drive or two for backup and mass storage, you should because they don't cost that much.

The other trick you can do is to create PDF files and ship them to a system that supports the printer. When OS X was first released, it didn't support my printer. I would do my work in OS X and after accumulating several print jobs, I would reboot in Classic mode, print my work and then return to OS X. I was glad when they got the print driver working under OS X.

---

I would think your old LaserJet drivers would still work (I have a 4000N, 8100DN, and DesignJet 600) that are all working in 7-64. The two LaserJets were installed through finding the drivers via Windows Updates, but the DesignJet was tricky. I had to track down the 64-bit win2k drivers for that one.

64-bit drivers for really old hardware are basically universal, though they won't be signed and "trusted" by newer OSes, but they will still work just fine. Regarding the fact that the 4000 and the 8100 both got the drivers via Windows Update, I would have to assume they'll still be there and available for Win 10, as well.

(all three of my printers have JetDirect cards in them, so they are all network printers, and installing them is not specifically straightforward like plugging a USB printer in, or running the 800MB bloatware software suite for modern printers and selecting how the printer is connected.

To manually add a printer: control panel > devices and printers > Add Printer Wizard > add local printer > create a new port > type of port > TCP/IP > enter IP address, and then it should be pretty self-explanatory from that point. I should also note that my printers do use DHCP, but have reserved addresses. If you can't reserve a DHCP address for them, you should configure them to a static address, otherwise they might stop working because their IP changed.)

---

Linux laptop:
record uptime: 1511d 20h 19m (ended due to the power brick giving-up)

Janni I'm sorry but I honestly have no idea neither what you misunderstood me saying nor the point you are trying to make.

I guess I should not have used the term "game CD" when I meant software in general. Sorry for the confusion.

Most things, that need a computer, usually come with some install CD that works best for Windows, if it works for anything else at all. Think of a universal remote control, some digital voice recorder, a GPS system, video recording systems and the editing software, consumer UPS systems ... the list is endless. If there is software for these things available for other operating systems, it may be found for download somewhere, but don't count on it. You have better chances to find support in the open source communities, when on Linux of FreeBSD.

However, I don't think that this is because the developers choose so. It is a matter of fact that Windows dominates the home desktop market. This drives the manufacturers of those devices to focus on Windows, which means their developers have to focus on it. Logically most OEMs stick to preinstall Windows for the moment. Logically a lot of software, targeted at the mass consumer PC market, follows.

It isn't the developers, it is the situation of the market. The developers I was talking about above are currently developing Windows software, because their employers need that to sell to the mass consumer market. With the failure of Windows 8 to gain any significant market share, Microsoft is in desperate need of Windows 10 to succeed by gaining market share rapidly in order to avoid something like Linux to get a foot in the door, so to speak. That is why they are considering that "free" upgrade.